College Workshop- Game day Event- Brandon Geller, Harvard University shares how the university has overcome the challenges of recycling and reducing waste during sporting events with programs such as their Game Day Challenge.

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GAME DAY RECYCLING CHALLENGE
Brandon Geller
Faculty of Arts and Science Green Program, Senior Coordinator
April 1st, 2013

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DILEMMA: Large events, like tailgates, are
one of the biggest producers of
waste, and have the lowest recycling
yields
• Users not familiar with the space
• Inadequate recycling infrastructure
o Events often aren’t the intended use of the space
• Increased dependence on single use items
• Alcohol, whose containers are valuable
recyclables, impede neurological processes.
o i.e. People are too drunk to think about what they should
be doing with their bottles and cans…

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SOLUTION: Game Day Challenge
Goal: Find a fun way to engage people in recycling at
athletics events and harness the competitive nature of
athletics
Approach:
• Pick one football game during the fall season, and
report all of recycling, trash, and compost data, as
well as attendance
• All events that happen on athletics grounds are fair
game
• Schools are ranked by several different categories:
Overall Diversion rate (%), Waste Minimization
(lbs/capita), GHG reduction
(MTCDE/capita), Recycling (lbs/capita), Organics

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IDENTIFY HIGH IMPACT EVENTS
Harvard targets Freshman Parents’
Weekend:
• Large attendance
• Opportunity to do composting practice
with the freshmen
• Raise awareness of sustainability efforts
among parents and alumnae
• Partnership with Freshman Dean’s
Office and Office of Student Life
BONUS: Composting at Freshman
Parent’s Luncheon and Alumnae
luncheon
• Volunteers watch the bins and help
guide people on composting

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KEEP IT SIMPLE
Have volunteers walk around the tailgates giving out
recycling and trash bags.
• Provide tailgaters with simple instructions: Leave it on the ground and
the grounds crew will pick it up after the game.
• Frame as a favor to the tailgaters: “To make it easier for you to clean
up, here are free trash and recycling bags”
• Doing it game after game, and frequent tailgaters start to expect you

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EXPAND INFRASTRUCTURE
Set up as many
recycling and trash
stations as you have
available.
Problem: Knocked over by wind or otherwise, no one bothers to set it back up.
Solution: Anchor into the ground as best you can (weights, hooks, etc)
Problem: Don’t have enough to cover every possible location/event
Solution: Target high traffic areas and do the best you can!
Problem: In a crowd, trash and
recycling containers are hard to find
Solution: Tie a blue balloon to
them, or raise a flag over them (done
at Yale).

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TARGETED MARKETING
Video reminders on the stadium jumbotron during games
Captain of the Harvard Football team Fast facts about Harvard Athletics
Team 2009, promoting recycling. commitment to sustainability.

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KEYS TO SUCCESS
The Game Day Challenge is an excellent tool for
engaging those who aren’t normally engaged
• Get exposure to athletes, coaches, and
athletics staff, as well as alumnae and vendors.
• Unique opportunity to drum up enthusiasm
for waste reduction and recycling.
Harness the power of:
• Volunteers
• Grounds Crew
• School Spirit
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY…

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HAVE FUN WITH IT!
FAS Green Program Teams Up with
Harvard Athletics